CAN YOU SAY REMATCH? Floyd Beats Maidana In Solid Tussle

Bless his soul, his big heart and his semi crude but ample skills and smart strategy. Marcos Maidana did better than 98% of the planet thought he would at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 3, 2014 against TBE, Floyd Mayweather.

16,268 people paid to get in.

After 12 rugged rounds, featuring much wrassling and grappling, we went to the cards, with the collective breath of the building bated: we heard Moretti 116112, Clements had it 117-111 and Pernick had it114-114, majority decision, for Floyd Mayweather, still undefeated, but maybe having shown that age has touched him a bit.

After, while boos and jeers rained down from the Argentines, Floyd told Jim Gray that it was a tough rumble but he wanted to give the fans what they wanted. And a rematch? If the fans want it, they’ll do it. To Gray, Maidana said he thought he won the fight, and that Floyd didn’t fight like a man. MM said he thought the majority of the rounds, and he wants a rematch.

There was more drama post-fight, as the masses of fans exiting cramped the hallway. A brawl broke out in that mass of flesh, and people ran through narrow doors of the media center to get away. I felt like it was a potential trampling situation as I negotiated my way to the media room, and went to a locked door, after being told to go to that door by an MGM worker.

At the post-fight presser, Floyd said he gave the fans what they wanted, and didn’t move so much. He said he’s in a Catch 22 situation, because when he wins easy, they say it’s boring, and if he gets in a rumble, people yap then too.

He said yes, Maidana, won rounds, and if he thinks he won, he can get it again, in September. “You’re a hell of a fighter,” Floyd told Maidana, and had Robert Garcia translate. He congratulated him, on his showing, and a new baby. “But the next fight, don’t hit me in the d–k so much,” Floyd said. Everyone howled. Floyd cracked that he wanted to maybe make more kids, and then Maidana said he should let him use the gloves he wants. Everyone howled even more…Floyd said he’s the A side, and didn’t really touch on the gloves issue.

He said that he wanted to give the fans a rumble, and they deserve it, so he doesn’t regret his strategy.

Maidana was 146 1/2 pounds, and Floyd was 146. In the first, Floyd had to rumble, in the funnest Floyd round in forever. MM’s went behind the head a dozen times and Floyd had to battle.

In the second, the left hook and right hand got cooking. Was it one and done, one good round and that would be it for MM? Jabs to the body kept MM honest.

In the third, Floyd blunted MM, held him when he had to. MM got warned for an infraction, then Floyd got back to work. Slip, duck, grab, punch, Floyd did what he wanted. The sniper-right was there for Floyd, as was everything.

In the fourth, Floyd had a cut on his right eye. This round was a rumble, with MM trying to get him to the ropes and score a haymaker, behind the head would be fine with him. Floyd held, MM butted, it was Uglyville in there.In the fifth, Chino worked harder. Floyd gave it to him, actually. They worked on the cut on Floyd in between rounds.

In the sixth, left hooks and sniper rights from Floyd were hurtful. He was on the offensive and damned effective.In the seventh, Floyd was master of the domain, the whole time. Jab to the body, then the right…hooks in tight…and tying up on the ropes to buy time. All Floyd.

In the eighth, it was a tight round. A left hook by MM went low and Floyd cringed.

In the ninth, Floyd got back in charge more. A right to the bread basket took some breathe away.

In the tenth, MM pressed, kept Floyd working to keep from getting hit. Did Floyd steal the round with a sharp right at the end?

In the 11th, MM was in Floyd’s face, having him on the ropes, making him wrestle, if not slip punches. They both almost tumbled out of the ring and Floyd was maybe feeling 37.

In the 12th, Floyd was off the ropes more so he did better. Fittingly, they grappled to end the scrap. We went to the cards…

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